The present invention is directed to a software design tool, and more specifically to a web-based software design tool for keep-alive boards.
Traditionally, the design of software for keep-alive boards has required that a software engineer frequently modify existing software to meet a customer's requirements. Customers have often had difficulty in conveying their requirements, for a particular piece of software, and as a result have received software that did not meet their requirements. As the versions of a particular piece of software grew, the versions typically became more difficult to track and maintain. This was because, historically, a software engineer responsible for the design of a particular piece of software also controlled the software and was responsible for providing updated copies of the software to customers worldwide.
When the software engineer was unavailable, a customer was required to wait until that software engineer was able to provide a customized version of the software to them. As a result, customers have frequently waited for lengthy periods before receiving a customized version of a particular piece of software. In addition, creation of customized software has been expensive for the software engineer's employer.
While various web sites have provided downloadable software, these web sites have not allowed a customer to provide a specification from which customized software is created. As such, a new technique for providing customized software to a customer is desirable.